Arrangement for connecting power supply lines to an electronic device and cubicle with such an arrangement

ABSTRACT

Arrangement for connecting power supply lines to an electronic device and a cubicle with such an arrangement The invention concerns an arrangement for connecting power supply lines (14, 24, 25) to an electronic device with terminals (4), forming the end of a rigid electric conductor (2), a plurality of which is arranged side-by-side in a receiving device (1) and combined with said device to form a terminal unit, as well as a cubicle with such an arrangement. The terminals (4) can be arranged offset in relation to one another and can be easily removed due to a two-part design of the rigid electric conductor (2). The novel arrangement advantageously provides low-loss and compact connection of power supply lines to an electronic device, making it also possible to supply an extension device in parallel. The invention is applied in electronic cubicles.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an arrangement for connecting powersupply lines to an electronic device and a cubicle containing such anarrangement.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A conventional cubicle containing an arrangement for connecting powersupply lines to an electronic device is described in German PatentApplication 93 11 526, where the cubicle rack, consisting oflongitudinal and transversal rails, of an automation system isdescribed. Subracks provided with components, for example, digital inputand output components, are mounted into the rack. Busbars run verticallyon the right-hand longitudinal rail and are connected to a circuit boardarranged vertically on the lower part of the longitudinal support andprovided with power supply diodes for isolating the supply voltages if aredundant power supply is used. The circuit board is connected, viaflexible conductors, to a terminal arrangement consisting of terminalsconnected in series, arranged side-by-side horizontally and attached toa standard receiving body. The shortcomings of the conventional deviceinclude the voluminous design, the relatively high cost of commerciallyavailable terminals, relatively high power loss due to the terminalconnections on the flexible conductors and due to the electricalresistance of the conductor itself, which can only be reduced bydesigning the conductor with a suitably large cross section. Also, inthe known device, additional terminals must be installed in order tosupply additional electronic devices in parallel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement forconnecting power supply lines to an electronic device and a cubicle withsuch an arrangement that reduced-loss connection of the power supplylines in a compact design.

An advantage of the present invention is that a high-current connectionis implemented, for example, for a 24 VDC power supply, for line crosssections of 16 mm² to 95 mm² for an electronic device. The presentinvention further allows a redundant current supply connection with twosupply voltage lines and two ground lines, the possibility of aredundant connection of an extension device to be supplied in parallel,a very low-loss connection to the internal current distribution systemof the devices, an EMC-compliant integration of an input filter forplanar or neutral grounding, visual monitoring of the power supplycontact points, safe monitoring and tightening of the energized contactpoints, safe disconnection of the energized load with no effect on thedevices supplied in parallel, safe disconnection of the energizedredundant supply potentials for simplified troubleshooting with noeffect on the devices supplied in parallel, and a layout with nocrossing of the power supply lines directly in the connection zone ofthe electronic device. In conventional devices, previously EMC-compliantintegration of input filters had to be designed with additionallarge-surface connecting elements. Also, an advantageous arrangement ofthe filter directly on the terminals was not possible with theconventional devices. Furthermore safety reasons, an electronic devicecould only be disconnected previously with the main fuse turned off. Asa result, all devices supplied in parallel had to be turned off.Furthermore the on-line diagnosis of an electronic device with a centralsupply was not possible with conventional devices. These disadvantagesare avoided by the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an arrangement according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the arrangement with the cover.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the arrangement with the cover removed.

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the arrangement.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a terminal of the arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows four rigid electric conductors 2 inserted side-by-side intoa plastic body 1. An end of each of the rigid electric conductors 2 isdesigned as a terminal 4 for power supply lines 14 of an electronicdevice. Terminals 4 are arranged offset side-by-side and, like electricconductors 2, are electrically insulated from one another by plasticbody 1. This offset arrangement allows terminals 4 to be accommodated ina terminal unit in the narrowest possible space. Each rigid electricconductor 2 consists of two parts, which are electrically connected viaa shorting jumper 6. Thus, terminals 14 with power supply line 14inserted in them can be removed together with the first part of anelectric conductor 2. If a power supply line 14 is looped to anextension device through a terminal 4, a main device can be isolatedfrom terminal 4 without turning off the extension device. A second partof rigid electric conductor 2 is electrically connected to contact point5 on a circuit board 8. Plastic body 1 also supports a supply filter 3,which is connected directly to rigid electric conductors 2 via threadedconnections 7 over a large surface area. Thus, supply filter 3 is in theimmediate proximity of the supply points located on terminals 4. Circuitboard 8 is both the mechanical support of plastic body 1 and supplydiodes 9, and the electrical distributor of the potentials to supplydiodes 9 and connection points 10, through which the supply voltages arerouted to the loads located inside the device. Supply diodes 9 are usedfor disconnecting the power supplies in the case of redundant currentsupply. Circuit board 8 is connected electrically to the potential of anelectronic shielding on an electric conductor 11 over a large surfacearea and mechanically connected via fastening point 33. The shieldpotential is conducted by electric conductor 11 first to the connectionarea of supply filter 3 via circuit board 8 and then through busbar 12to the terminal area of supply filter 3. At the end of busbar 12, aconnection point 13 is formed for the shielding potential, which allowsthe optional use of a supply filter 3 for planar grounding or forneutral grounding.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective View of an arrangement according to thepresent invention for connection of power supply lines. The arrangementis protected against accidental contact with the electric conductors bycover 15. Cover 15 has, in the area of terminals 4, cutouts 16, whichprovide safe access for a suitable tool for checking the seat ofterminals 4 under load. Cover 15 is made of a transparent material, sothat terminals 4 can be visually checked without difficulty. Terminals 4are secured in place by locking hooks 30.

In FIG. 3, with cover 15 off, supply filter 3 and the first part of arigid electric conductor 2 removed, the position of the rigid electricconductors in the grooves of plastic body 1 are clearly visible. Again,the same parts shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are provided with the samereference numbers. Two power supply lines 24 and 25 are inserted in eachone of terminals 4. One power supply line 24 is the main supplyconnection of the first device (main device). For this purpose, terminal4 is designed for conductors having a cross section of 16 mm² to amaximum of 95 mm². Extension devices are connected in parallel using apower supply line 25 and thus are also supplied with power via line 24.Terminal 4 is designed for parallel connection with a power supply line25 having a cross section of 2.5 mm² to 50 mm². As shown in FIG. 3, thefirst part of rigid electric conductor 2 with terminal 4 can be removedeven when power supply lines 24 and 25 are connected to it. Also each ofpower supply lines 24 or 25 can be inserted in a terminal 4independently of one another. Thus, in the terminal arrangementaccording to the invention, both main and extension devices can beoperated independently of one another in relation to the power supplyconnection. As a result no additional costly terminals are required forsupplying an extension device in parallel. FIG. 3 also illustrates theparticularly compact design of a terminal unit according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows the rear view of the arrangement illustrating the supplydiodes 9 for decoupling the power supplies if a redundant current supplyis implement. Although two supply diodes 9 are shown; two additionalsupply diodes can be installed if needed. Plastic body 1 and the diodeunit are supported by circuit board 8, which is also responsible fordistributing the potential.

According to FIG. 5, the first part of a rigid electric conductor 2,whose end is configured as a terminal 4, has two side brackets, whichare bent so that they form two parallel legs 20 of a U-shaped groove.There are rectangular cutouts 21 and 22 in legs 20 of the U-shaped endof rigid electric conductor 2. When the rigid electric conductor 2 isinserted in plastic body 1, locking hooks 30 of plastic body 1 snap intorectangular cutouts 21 and ensure firm seating of conductor 2 in plasticbody 1 (see also FIG. 3). When only power supply line 24 is to beconnected, i.e., when no extension device is to be additionally suppliedwith power via power supply line 25, contact bridge 23 and terminalscrew 29, which would otherwise be required for power supply line 25,are no longer needed. The isolated power supply line 24 is then placedinto the U-shaped groove between legs 20. A pressure plate 31 and an endsupport 26 with a terminal screw 27 are aligned parallel to legs 20 andpositioned between them. By turning terminal screw 27, stop edges of endsupport 26 are moved toward legs 20. When end support 26 has reached theposition of rectangular cutouts 22 in legs 20, end support 26 rotatesfurther due to the thread friction and swivels into rectangular cutouts22. The walls of rectangular cutouts 22 prevent support 26 from rotatingfurther. If terminal screw 27 is further tightened, the isolated end ofpower supply line 24, together with pressure plate 31, is pressedagainst the bottom of the U-shaped groove and a reliable contact isestablished. When an extension device is connected in parallel usingpower supply line 25, contact bridge 23 must be used. It has a circularopening, through which the isolated end of power supply line 24 isinserted. Power supply line 24 and contact bridge 23 are now broughtbetween legs 20 of the U-shaped groove together. Contact bridge 23 isfirmly positioned on legs 20 due to side notches 32 in contact bridge23. As described above, power supply line 24, which is now provided withcontact bridge 23, is connected using terminal screw 27. To connectpower supply line 25 for supplying an extension device, a terminal screw29 is pushed through a contact lug 28, supply 25 is placed into theopening of terminal screw 29, and terminal screw 29 is tightened. Thus asecure contact is achieved between power supply lines 24 and 25 in theterminal unit using simple means.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for connecting at least two powersupply lines to an electronic device, comprising:a receiving device; aplurality of rigid electric conductors arranged side by side in thereceiving device, each of the rigid electric conductors including afirst part and a second part the first rigid conductor, part beingseparable from the second rigid conductor part an electrically connectedto the second part when the first part is in the receiving device; and aplurality of terminals, each terminal of the plurality of terminalsforming an end of the first part of a respective one of the rigidelectric conductors, wherein each of at least two power supply linesconnects to one of the plurality of terminals independently from anotherone of the at least two power supply lines, and wherein the first partof each of the rigid electric conductors is individually removable fromthe receiving device.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theplurality of terminals are arranged offset to each other.
 3. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device includes aplastic body having grooves for receiving the rigid electric conductors,and wherein the apparatus comprises:locking connectors for maintainingthe rigid electric conductors in the grooves.
 4. The apparatus accordingto claim 3, comprising:a supply filter filtering a supply voltage, thesupply filter being mounted on the second part of each of the rigidelectric conductors.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:acover provided for the receiving device.
 6. The apparatus according toclaim 5, wherein each of the plurality of terminals includes a terminalscrew, and wherein the cover has cutout portions in an area of theterminal screws, the terminal screws being accessible through the cutoutportions.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cover iscomposed of a transparent material.
 8. The apparatus according to claim1, wherein each of the first part and the second part is a rigid,elongated conductor part.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe end of each first part formed by each terminal is distal to thesecond part when the first part is positioned in the receiving device, asecond end of the first part being proximate to the second part when thefirst part is positioned in the receiving device.